The 2002 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
hazards: the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to October (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
Environment - current issues: air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but
not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
People Cuba
Population: 11,224,321 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.6% (male 1,188,125; female 1,125,743) 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,902,162; female 3,880,531) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 520,849; female 606,911) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.35% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 12.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 7.35 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 79.15 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.03% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,800 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 120 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban
Ethnic groups: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Religions: nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power;
Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Languages: Spanish
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write male: 96.2% female: 95.3% (1995 est.) total population: 95.7%
People - note: illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; some 3,000 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2001; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 25% of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 2,400 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct flights to Miami in 2000
Government Cuba
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Cuba conventional short form: Cuba local short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Havana
Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia)
and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de
Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin,
Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio,
Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara
Independence: 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
National holiday: Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of independence from US administration
Constitution: 24 February 1976, amended July 1992
Legal system: based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 24 February 1998 (next to be held in 2003) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz elected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State, appointed by the National Assembly; note - there is also a Council of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (601 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms) elections: percent of vote - PCC 94.39%; seats - PCC 601
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders: only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC
[Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal
participation since 1962), OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Cuba has an Interests
Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto
RODRIGUEZ Barrera (since August 2001); address: Cuban Interests Section,
Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone:
[1] (202) 797-8518
Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note - the US has an
Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer
Vicki HUDDLESTON; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and
M Streets, Vedado Seccion, Havana; telephone: protecting power in Cuba
is Switzerland
Flag description: five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; design influenced by the US flag
Economy Cuba
Economy - overview: The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a concern for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms in recent years to stem excess liquidity, increase enterprise